Monday, July 30, 2012

Check out the CAS-ual Friday blog for more info on this cool company, but know that the winner of this week's challenge will receive a $20 gift certificate to have some shopping fun!!

Here's what I came up with using the challenge colors...

When I saw the colors, I thought graphic. I had taken the Online Card Class recently and Jennifer McGuire embossed on the card she used the same die cut images on...so I tried it on my card, but debossed. I have a lot of star dies and this card was a combination of Stampin Up, MFT and Papertrey Ink dies. I had taken strips of the challenge color paper, adhered them to a piece of thin card stock and then die cut the different sized striped stars. I used Glossy Accents and squirted 2 layers of GA over the stars to give them a hard, shiny look...

I die cut 3 apertures in the white panel along with the debossed stars and popped up on white card. The sentiment is Paper Smooches. FUN!!

Don't forget to check out theCAS-ual Fridays blog to see what the design team has come up with but don't forget CAS-ual Fridays on Facebook...you will find yours truly there every Monday and another Girl Friday there every day of the challenge for added inspiration!! Be the star you are, this week...You Rock!!!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Life is CRAZY here at my house... a super quick post of a card I made while on the phone with my mom...one of the only moments I had in my "cave" lately...so sad...but there's always hope for tomorrow:)!!

Used part of a die from Simon Says Stamp...made a couple layers and then colored it with Stampin Up markers...the bright colors...used the same colors and punched flowers and dotted with nail head stick ons...layered the flowers, too. Scored some lines and used a piece of a Hero Arts sentiment...I am LOVING cutting up my sentiments and not having to mask...and make mistakes...and make mess...I'm just saying...and you can always put them back together if you want the whole sentiment...but this piece said exactly what I wanted...below it was "smile". Thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa

Monday, July 23, 2012

Lil' Inkers will be giving the winner of this week's challenge a $20 gift certificate to their store...check out their wonderful dies and stamps!!

I decided to go real simple with this challenge and my black base IS my card!! As some of you may know, I LOVE coloring with Prismacolor pencils!! I have colored on some different colored cardstock with great success: yellow, gray and one of my favorite kraft colored papers. When I found out the challenge, I thought,"How cool would it be to try coloring on BLACK??!!

This is a longer than usual post...had a few things to 'splain:)!!

I used one of my very favorite Hero Arts stamps(Daisies) stamped in versamark and white embossed. I always use a static bag over the card before stamping....works like a charm at not leaving white specks on the card after embossing. I think it's so funny that all the prismas DON'T work on black, best bet is to try a prismacolor on a scrap piece of paper (black, kraft, gray...whatever color you are working on) before coloring on your stamped image. Better to be sorry on scrap paper than to ruin your card with a color you thought you'd like but hate when you color with it on your card:)!! This has 2 shades ofpurple...and two shades of green . I had actually been waiting on acetate for a couple weeks to finish this card...I thought the sentiment would look so cool on acetate over the image, but have never owned any acetate, so I ordered some. I stamped on it with versamark and then white embossed...OMGoodness ....specks of white everywhere!! I googled and tried all the suggestions: I tried my static bag, dryer sheet, paint brush to rub off...NOTHING worked to keep the white off!! Can anyone tell me if they have used acetate and had success and HOW?! I wound up cutting around the sentiment which cut off most of the specks...I still love the idea of the sentiment on acetate over the image on this card but must admit not the easiest thing to work with! Hey, gotta let you know of failures along with all the many successes in creating...I need to find a solution and love all this acetate I now have(I actually ordered a second package when my first wasn't coming on time and I had to finish my card, so now I have not 1 but 2 packages of acetate)!! But other than that...still LOVING my prismas!!!

Don't forget to check out theCAS-ual Fridays blog to see what the design team has come up with but don't forget CAS-ual Fridays on Facebook...you will find yours truly there every Monday and another Girl Friday there every day of the challenge for added inspiration!! Hope you have a COLORFUL week!!!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

I LOVE the Online Card Classes...the lastest one was Stretch Your Stamps!! I always learn so much...not just new techniques and ideas on using stamps and dies, but even little tips on how to use the products that we use WITH those stamps and dies...invaluable!! I don't think I can show the card that Jennifer made(you have to be a part of the class), but it just WOWED me, so I had to try it myself(mind you mine does not come close, but I WILL make another...gotta keep improving, but had to show you this!!)

and die cut the flower 3 times. I also used the die to emboss the card in a couple places using the soft embossing pads. I cut away at some of the rows of the die cut flowers for two of them and then put drops of Glossy accents on the backs of each of the little cut out pieces(still IN the die cut flower). I put the glued flowers on the white card and put it underneath something heavy for a while so they could stick and dry. When dry, peel away the die cut flower and the little pieces remain. Colored with Stampin Up markers and added a Hero Arts sentiment. I goofed in a lot of areas on this card. Not enough stick on the pieces and the smallest flower was a total redo after I really messed up the first one that was under the one you see...but the NEXT one I do will be easier and better:)!! You really only learn "how to" and get better by DOING:)!!...right??! This class is over, but you can always join...just link to the site at the beginning of the post:)!!
Thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa

The challenge this week at Less is More is to make a clean and simple card having sewing on your card! I don't know if my card will be accepted, but KNOW that I used a needle with my ribbon, and although it looks weaved, I SEWED the ribbon through the holes...welllll...hope that counts:)?!

I saw Chrissie's card, and had just gotten the same Simon Says Stamp die this week, and thought it perfect for the challenge in a different way:) Used some Stampin Up very thin Pumpkin ribbon...loved how it had a thin white edge on it...

threaded it through a needle and started "sewing"...Used a sentiment from Hero Arts that I colored in with Pumpkin Pie marker, layered whole panel on white card. Each row is a separate ribbon, after threading through I took all the ribbon pieces and added glue dots to the back of the ribbon and adhered the ends to the glue dots. FUN!!!
Thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Super quick...The challenge at Less is More this week is to use 3's on your ONE LAYER card...three images, three words in your sentiment...three colors...you get the drift:)?!! ...

Here's the card I made...

Used a Hero Arts stamp for the flower and sentiment, stamped in versamark and white embossed and drew the stems with a white gel pen ... colored flowers with Prismacolor pencils. Ran through Papertrey Ink Linen/Canvas Impression plate and dotted the centers of the flowers with white Liquid Pearls...LOVE COLORING WITH PRISMAS!! Thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa

Monday, July 16, 2012

WOW...the texting in the gallery was INCREDIBLE last week....244 entries!!!...what a really difficult time all the design team had choosing just 10...had an amazing time looking at all the wonderful creativity in the gallery, though...fantastic job!!...congratulations to all the winners...job WELL DONE!!!
This week's challenge atCAS-ual Fridays is to use strips of color or pattern on your clean and simple design...

The winner of this week's challenge will win a $25 gift certificate to have some crafty shopping fun!!

Here's what I started with...

...a piece of design paper from a package I have from Michael's Recollection brand ...a bunch of teal/aqua colored patterned papers, this piece had patterned flowers that were HUGE and I knew that I would never use it on a card, so I chopped it up into 1/4" strips and wove them together on a piece of cardstock, folded the ends under and added some layered die cut letters and flip flops(both are Papertrey Ink)....pretty simple...no stamping...kinda different for me, but sometimes you've got to try new things and break out of your box:)!!

If I were to do it over, I probably would have made the strips a bit wider, it took a little time to weave all those tiny strips(but once they were cut and I had started, there was no turning back:)!!...*updated to let you know it took about 30 minutes to weave), ...but pretty simple...and the look...kinda thought it was COOL...man:)!! Don't forget to check out the CAS-ual Fridays blog to see what the design team has come up with but don't forget CAS-ual Fridays on Facebook...you will find yours truly there every Monday and another Girl Friday there every day of the challenge for added inspiration!! Hope you have a COOL week!!! Thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa

Friday, July 13, 2012

This was the first card that I made for Less is More's challenge which was to make a clean and simple card using gold this week, 'cept it had a bunch of green in it, so I opted to make another with JUST gold for that challenge...that's the post below this one...but here's my card...

This stamp is from Memory Box and I fell in love with it when I saw Dana's beautiful card which you can see HERE. I stamped on light green paper with versamark and gold embossed...I also stamped the owls the same way, but on white paper. I cut out the tree and then layered another set of circles stamped the same way and cut out on a darker green paper. The three darker circles were cut minus the little slits that were the lighter green. I then thought that I needed the little slits because they overlapped the light, so I patted them on the versamark pad and made them a little darker and then adhered them to the other papers. I used my papertrey ink canvas/linen texture plate and a a sentiment from Stampendous...ok, kind of cutsie, but the font I thought, played with the formal but graphic feel of the image. The ground is gold paper, cut by hand.
Thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa

This week's challenge at Less is More is to make a clean and simple card using gold! I must admit...gold is one of those colors that I immediately think of for anniversaries and Christmas...so I really had to think...
Here's what I came up with...simple and to the point...

I used a stamp from Stampotique and a border butterfly die from Memory Box that I ran through and used the butterflies that came out of the border. I used gold paper to die cut the butterflies and gold wire to make some antennae for the "flies". I stamped the quote in versamark and gold embossed. Used same gold paper as the butterflies as a frame and a Spellbinders rectangle die to emboss a larger frame on the card around it all....GOLD all the way!!! Here's a more shiny shot...

Monday, July 9, 2012

The challenge this week at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a clean and simple card using text...

This week's sponsor is Simon Says Stampand the winner of this week's challenge will recieve a $25 shopping spree!!

The winner will ALSO be CAS-ual Friday's guest designer in August, so com'on... have some fun... and join the challenge this week...you have until 12noon on Thursday!!!

Here's my card...

I used a stamp from W Plus 9 Design Studio called Defining Words, FILLED with wonderful text... I used the 4th stamp down...

which had lot of happy words...and punched out flowers with EK Success flower punch that highlighted(and fit in the flower punch) the final sentiment from Hero Arts...that said, " You're so Special"...here's a close up of the punched flowers.

I used an old stamp from Stampin Up (Thanks From the Heart) for the stems and Cream, Soft Suede, and early espresso papers...early espresso ink, too. Be sure to check out the CAS-ual Friday blog for inspiration from the design team and for some daily inspiration you can check out CAS-ual Friday on Facebook...that's where you'll find me:)!! Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Friday, July 6, 2012

A quick post...off to a wedding today! The challenge this week at Less is Morethis week is to make a clean and simple card based on a beautiful card from Kim Singdahlsen you can find HERE. This was perfect timing as I needed a wedding card, and her card gave me inspiration!! Here's what I made...

***I edited my card...it had 2 branches on the bottom...It looked "off"...and it was driving me CRAZY...so I took one off and took another picture:):)...much happier...less really IS more:):)!!

Used a sizzix Branch and Leaves die, Papertrey Ink flower die, My Favorite Things die for the frames and the sentiment is from Verve: Wordy Birds. I used the idea of the frame and the black accent to the left of the frame...made a flower in cream instead of a butterfly and didn't use the brown...used white to frame instead.
Gotta run...thanks for visiting with me today:)!! Hugs!! Lisa

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Andy Griffith passed away on July 3rd...he was a man who has brought such happiness and laughter to my heart and soul with his show. I watch Andy whenever he is on. We used to have a cockatiel that used to whistle the Andy theme...yes, I guess I'm a fan. His home is about an hour from my house, and like so many others, I even went there looking for his house, on one of my visits to Manteo, NC(they also had a wonderful Christmas shop on Manteo:)!!). I was later to find out that the very small community in Manteo was very protective of Andy's privacy and most likely, just like so many other seekers, I was told by the woman at the tourist information booth, that she had no idea where he lived. I now think that she probably did know where he lived, but just wouldn't say . Mayberry is a fictional place in a time gone by, that I still say would have been a community I would have LOVED to live in. I made a card with a quote that is one of my very favorite, and found this snippet on youtube that shows this part in one of my all time favorite episodes...if you have 2 minutes...it's sweet! WATCH HERE
Here's my card...

Used cream card stock, soft suede ink, the sentiment is computer generated, the stamp set is Papertrey Ink Through The Trees. See ya later, Andy!! Thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa

Monday, July 2, 2012

My son Noah's best friend is Noah! I know...how unusual is that?? Today is the friend Noah's birthday...he is 16! Noah has been the best friend my son could ask for. Since Noah's injury 5 years ago, Noah and his mom have come to our home twice a week to sit with Noah and give me a chance to shop or do whatever. Now that our Noah has a van, we take our Noah to their house one of those two days a week...but our family has so appreciated their friendship and love!!! Noah(the friend) LOVES animals!! He is becoming a rescue/rehabilitation caregiver (he came today to sit with Noah...ON HIS BIRTHDAY), today he had 9 baby opossums that he brought with him because they need to be fed every hour. I found this little mouse in the set from Penny Black Paint the Town...and paper pieced it all...I know...CRAZY...but thought it so cute...

I just love paper piecing!! Even the tiny little flames...well, maybe not THOSE!! And there are 8 candles and 9 flames...how fair is that???

Used gray bazzill, cream and a rainbow of colors for the candles all layered on Papertrey Ink white. I also used a shadow stamp from A Muse to ground the little guy. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink. Happy Birthday Noah...we love you!! Thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa

If you're looking for the challenge card for CAS-ual Fridays 59...keep scrolling to the post below:)!!
This was another card that I made when thinking about the CAS-ual Fridays 59 challenge...Two Circles. Super simple...and the frame is it...a little larger than my first post today, but this one goes solo...nothing else on the card...because it's kind of big it can carry itself...kind of like it this way:)!!

I used the same idea and made the frame the same way as my earlier post, but didn't use diamond glaze on the frame and used some straight edged flowers(layered) with square black rhinestones for the middles of the flowers. The sentiment is Hero Arts , the flowers and stems are from Cuttlebug 2 x 2 Asterisks set. That's it...thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa

Wow...the pink in the CAS-ual Friday gallery last week was so pretty!! I love pink...and it seems so do a lot of other card makers:)!! Congrats to all the winners...well done:)!! This week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a clean and simple card using TWO (2) circles...

They have generously given each of the Girl Fridays some baker's twine to use on our cards, AND are giving the winner of this challenge the I Dream In Twine pack valued at $32

WOW...how cool is that?!! Hope you enter a card for a chance to win this wonderful assortment...now to show you what I made...

I've edited this post to a much shorter explanation...my two circles that make up the black frame are my circles for this challenge...the flower centers are technically disks and I didn't include any sentiment in my counting...yeah...done:)!!
I used my Grid Lines stamp from Hero Arts and stamped with versamark on black paper, white embossed and used two spellbinder circle dies to cut out a thick circle and then with two different circle dies, cut another thicker circle that is just black. I used my Glossy Accents and coated the stamped circle twice(after letting it dry in between coats).

I put that circle on the other black circle and made a frame which I used to show some felt (Papertrey Ink) punched flowers(EK Success) and a sentiment from Paper Smooches. I used Modern Lines background stamp from Hero Arts and stamped on bazzill white with versamark and clear embossed. Rounded bottom corners, used die to cut out circle to put flower panel beneath it and popped up the panel and added black baker's twine to finish the card. The stems were made using a die from Cuttlebug, 2 x 2 Asterisks set.
Hope you will join in the challenge this week...don't forget to check out the CAS-ual Friday site for inspiration from the Design Team AND on Facebook, where you'll find daily inspiration ...and me:)!!Thanks for visiting me today!!
Hugs!! Lisa